Crime Prevention

From damage and or theft of personal property, to physical violence and injury, crime takes on many forms and can leave one feeling angry, helpless, fearful, frustrated and confused.

The Fayetteville State University Department of Police and Public Safety's Crime Prevention provides various services to empower and inform the Bronco Family through security awareness and crime prevention programs and presentations. We encourage students and employees to be responsible for not only their own safety and security, but also the safety and security of others.

There are actions that all Broncos can practice every day to keep themselves safe. Although Police and Public Safety work extremely hard to keep the FSU campus safe, we cannot predict all criminal activity. Following some safety precautions will help eliminate criminal activity and behavior:

General Campus Safety and Crime Prevention
  • Program your cell phone: Program your phone to speed Fayetteville State University’s (FSU) 24/7 emergency Public Safety number: 910-672-1911.
  • ICE: Assign an "In Case of Emergency" number (ICE) in your cell phone as rescuers and first responders are trained to check your cell phone for an ICE entry. This is the person you want contacted in an emergency.
  • Campus call boxes: These are located throughout the FSU Campus.
  • Pathways: If possible, travel on well-lit pathways and be accompanied by another person.
  • Suspicious Activity: Notify Public Safety of any suspicious persons, conditions or objects. We will respond and investigate.
  • When Alone: If possible, telephone ahead to your destination that you’re on the way or call the FSU non-emergency number to request a SafeWalk: 910-672-1775. Do not wear headphones/bluetooth devices as these inhibit your ability to hear audible alerts, approaching vehicles, and individuals who may want to harm you.
  • Stay Alert: Focus on surroundings. Avoid texting while walking, especially when crossing streets.
  • Plan-Seeking Assistance: Know where to obtain help in the event you may need it; pre-plan escape routes.
  • Prevent Injury/Falls: Do not carry bags with the hand strap secured around your neck, you must be able to let go in the event you are involved in a struggle. Have bag draped over shoulder to prevent injury.
  • Calm and Collected: Remain as calm as possible, don’t engage in a verbal confrontation and stay focused on getting help.
  • Reality: Be realistic about your ability to protect yourself in certain situations. Consider escape routes and yelling for help. Your safety is far more valuable than any material items.

+Residence Hall Safety and Security

  • Do not lend your Bronco ID to anyone.
  • Know the location of fire extinguishers, alarms and emergency exits.
  • Follow campus rules about candles, incense, smoking, etc.
  • Mark all equipment using an identifier and keep a record of all serial numbers.

+Active Shooter Response

Clearly, response to an active shooter is one of the most dynamic situations that anyone will ever face. Prior to the arrival of FSU Police, how you respond to an active shooter will be dictated by the specific circumstances of the encounter, keeping in mind there could be more than one shooter involved in the same situation. If you find yourself in an active shooter situation, try to remain as calm as possible and use these suggested actions to help you plan a strategy for survival. Keep in mind, the entire area is still a crime scene.

Active Shooter Outside Building

  • Go to a room that can be locked or barricaded by using available material.
  • Close the window blinds, turn off the lights and get everyone down of the floor so that no one is visible from outside the room.
  • Spread out and seek concealment behind walls, desks, file cabinets, etc.
  • Have someone call 9-1-1 using a cellular telephone or call 911 from any campus telephone. Be aware that the 911 system will most likely be overwhelmed.
  • When you reach the dispatcher, describe the situation and give your name and location; remain in place until police give the 'All Clear.'
  • Unfamiliar voices may be the shooter attempting to lure victims from their safe space; do not respond to any voice commands until you can verify with certainty that they are being issued by a police officer.

Active Shooter Inside Building

  • If possible, secure the room you are in by either locking or barricading the door using available material and follow the same procedures described above.
  • If you cannot secure the room, determine if there is a nearby location that you are able to reach safely and then secure or if you can safely exit the building.

Active Shooter Inside Room

  • If the active shooter enters your office or classroom, there are no set procedures. The decision to flee or seek shelter inside the room can only be made by you and is dependent upon the circumstances.
  • Try to remain calm, it will aid you in decision making.
  • Call 911 if possible, and alert police to the shooter's location.
  • If you can't speak, leave the line open so the dispatcher can hear what is taking place. Usually the location of a caller can be determined without speaking.
  • If there is absolutely no opportunity of escape or concealment and the shooter is not actively firing on victims it might be possible to negotiate with the shooter.
  • If the shooter has fired on victims you are faced with a life or death situation; only you can consider your next course of action.
  • After all other options have been exhausted, you may be faced with the decision to overpower the shooter with force by whatever means necessary.

Active Shooter Leaves Room

  • If the shooter leaves the area and the environment appears safe, proceed immediately to a safer place.
  • Do not touch anything that was in the area of the shooter because of the possibility of explosives being left and the destruction of crucial evidence.

What You Should Do

  • Make sure you have an escape route in mind.
  • Do not attempt to carry anything in your hands while fleeing; move quickly
  • Keep your hands visible, and follow instructions given by any police officers you may encounter.
  • If you know where the shooter is located, tell the officers.
  • Remain at the designated assembly point until you have been released.
  • Do not drive off campus until told it is safe to do so by police.
  • Do not try to move any injured people; leave them where they are and notify authorities of their location as soon as possible.

What You Should Expect

  • Responding police officers are trained to proceed immediately to the area where the shots were last heard; their purpose is to stop the shooting as quickly as possible.
  • The first officers to arrive will not stop to aid injured victims; rescue teams composed of additional officers will follow the first team into secured areas and remove injured persons.
  • The first officers on the scene will likely be from the University Police Department. Depending on the situation, they may be joined by officers from different agencies and dressed in different uniforms. There may even be some officers in civilian clothes wearing an external bulletproof vest. Some officers may be dressed in Kevlar helmets and other tactical equipment. They may be armed with rifles, shotguns or handguns. Do as the officers tell you and do not be afraid of them.
Fire Safety and Evacuation
  • Move Away: Get away from the affected area, and verbally alert everyone else of the condition and the need to evacuate. Alert everyone by yelling and banging on doors while proceeding directly to the nearest exit.
  • Activate: Pull the nearest fire alarm.
  • Call: Contact fire emergency services at 911 and Public Safety at (910) 672-1911. Communicate the details of the condition by providing the exact location and nature of the emergency. Describe the fire or smoke condition to the best of your ability.
  • Evacuate: Employees, students and guests are not expected to fight fires and must evacuate the building immediately at the first sound of an alarm. Evacuation should be made via the nearest safe exit. Employees and students must not alter their course of exit in order to search for or notify other occupants.
  • Close Doors: If conditions permit, all doors should be pulled closed as occupants evacuate the building, this helps to contain the fire and smoke.
  • Crawl: Evacuees should crawl and keep as low to the floor as possible, where there is less smoke.
  • Test Doors: Evacuees should test doorknobs, doors and the space around the door with the back of their hand. If the door is warm, try another escape route. If it’s cool, open it slowly and slam it shut if smoke pours through.
  • Do Not Re-Enter Building: Do not go back in or permit anyone else to re-enter a building that is in alarm status. Re-entry can only be made after an ‘all-clear’ signal is given by the fire department and the fire alarm system is reset.
  • Use Stairs: Do not use an elevator during a fire, except in newer buildings where elevators continue to run until an elevator shaft smoke detector is activated.
  • Trapped: If you can’t get out, call 911 and tell them your exact location. Seal the door with rags and signal from the window. Open windows slightly at the top and bottom, but close them if smoke comes in.
  • Hazardous Materials: These should be secured and laboratory experiments terminated before leaving the building, unless doing so presents a greater hazard.
  • Assembly and Roll Call: Evacuees will be directed by Public Safety staff to a designated assembly area, at least 150 feet from the affected area. At the assembly area, staff must make every effort to account for all occupants and immediately report their findings to the fire department and college administrators.
  • Special Concerns: During an emergency, certain students and visitors may not be familiar with the evacuation plan and must be informed of the requirement to evacuate and the evacuation routes; special attention should be given to any persons with disabilities, especially those who are visitors or unfamiliar with the building.
  • Disabled Persons: Public Safety makes every effort to track the locations of all persons (students, employees and visitors) with both obvious and reported disabilities during their time on campus. In the event evacuation is necessary, every effort must be made to facilitate and assist in the evacuation of persons with disabilities. Finally, Public Safety personnel shall immediately direct arriving emergency responders (fire, police and EMS) to the location of those individuals with disabilities. Evacuation chairs are available through the Public Safety Office in the event it becomes necessary to evacuate a non-ambulatory disabled person.